Drug Testing on Foster Children, Essay Example

Who, What, When, Where about the research studies that have violated ethical standards. (30 points)

Federal researchers have been testing AIDS treatments on foster children without receiving permission from the children or their guardians. The research was conducted by the National Institute of Health, a government-funded research center. Testing occurred primarily in the 1990s, although this testing has been occurring since the 1990s. The researchers who conducted this analysis are located primarily at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in the years leading up to 2005. This type of research has been conducted in seven states, including Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Colorado, and Texas (Solomon, 2005).

Present the regulation assigned and discuss the principles that the regulation sets forth to protect humans in research. (25 points)

Individuals that are undergoing drug testing must be legally provided with informed consent documentation. Furthermore, the research institution must ensure that the individuals who will be participating in such testing are able to legally make their own decision regarding participation and that they are aware of the potential risks. To resolve this problem, the government poses that these individuals should be provided with advocates that are able to make such decisions on their behalves. Since minors cannot legally agree to participation because they need at least one parent or guardian to agree, these advocates can work to protect these children and help them determine whether participating in such studies provides a benefit to them (Solomon, 2005).

Connect the principles of human protection with the study assigned. Discuss what the research did wrong to violate human rights. Debate how the study could have protected the subjects. (35 points)

The researcher began experimenting on these children without providing them with informed consent. Even though the study was well-intended, as many children in the foster care system are born with the aids virus, it was found that many of these individuals suffered from harmful side effects. “Several studies that enlisted foster children reported patients suffered side effects such as rashes, vomiting and sharp drops in infection-fighting blood cells as they tested antiretroviral drugs to suppress AIDS or other medicines to treat secondary infections” (Solomon, 2005). It is possible that if the children were made aware of these potential detriments, they would not have agreed to participate in the study. It is therefore important to provide patients with this right to choose, and to provide them with the ability to leave the study at any time they begin to feel that it may be detrimental to them. Furthermore, it is important to keep them informed throughout this process so that they are able to make guided decisions in a manner that demonstrates that the staff is concerned for their health and well-being (Solomon, 2005).

Present the information that you have learned in the live class discussion. (5 points)

Ultimately, when conducting experiments that involve humans, it’s important to act using benevolence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Human experimentation must never intend to do harm to subject and must demonstrate that more benefit will derive from a project than harm. Furthermore, it is important for researchers to act in a manner that will protect the rights of their patients, which included providing them with an understanding of the risks and benefits associated with a particular study and not coercing individuals to participate. While research studies can help us learn a lot about human health, it is necessary to ensure that human health is not compromised during this process (Solomon, 2005).

References

Solomon, J. (2005). Government tested AIDS drugs on foster kids. NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7736157/ns/health-aids/t/government-tested-aids-drugs- foster-kids/#.VVdxrPlViko